Doesn’t value profit sharing
Led the way in giving it up at US Airways and again at American. Negotiated the worst of three profit sharing plans for agents at United.

It’s a big business
The IAM’s costs for 2016 – everything from salaries for union officers and employees to the costs for the IAM private jet – were more than $182 million. Their members’ dues pay for all that – and yours would likely be $700 per year or more.

Requires you to pay dues or be fired
IAM airline contracts provide for employees to be terminated for failure to pay dues.

Losing members
Since 2000, the IAM’s reported total membership has decreased by more than 20%.

Doesn’t respect different views
You can be fined, suspended or expelled from membership if you support other unions or getting rid of the IAM.

The IAM Structure

The IAM is organized in a bloated top-down hierarchy – the IAM has a Grand Lodge, dozens of District Lodges and over 1,000 local lodges (with more than 200 IAM staffers paid $100k+ per year).

Top officers are the International President and an Executive Council that includes the General-Secretary Treasurer and nine General Vice Presidents.

There are approximately 30 Grand Lodge Representatives, all full-time IAM staffers. District Lodges each have their own hierarchy of Presidents, Secretary-Treasurers, Vice Presidents, and Assistant General Chairs.

IAM dues and officer salary increases are tied to the rate of inflation, regardless of the IAM’s finances, the individual officer’s performance, or whether you also received a raise – in 2016 the top 12 officers each received compensation in excess of $260k.

Airline workers generally belong to District Lodges 141 or 142. Officers at the Local Lodge level include a President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Secretary-Treasurer, Conductor-Sentinel, and Trustees.

The IAM and Flight Attendants

IAM represents flight attendants at only two US-based air carriers, both regional airlines – CommutAir and ExpressJet.

At CommutAir, the Machinists took almost 7 years to negotiate a first contract for fewer than 150 flight attendants.

At ExpressJet (approximately 2,100 flight attendants), negotiations for a joint contract following the merger with Atlantic Southeast have been ongoing since 2012, without a tentative agreement.

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